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The University of San FranciscoUSF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library |Geschke Center
Master's Projects and Capstones Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects
Fall 12-15-2017
Applying Agile Project Management to ArtMuseums: A Proposal for Implementing aGeneralist Scrum MasterVincent Sulitvsulit@dons.usfca.edu
Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone
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Recommended CitationSulit, Vincent, "Applying Agile Project Management to Art Museums: A Proposal for Implementing a Generalist Scrum Master"(2017). Master's Projects and Capstones. 720.https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/720
ApplyingAgileProjectManagementtoArtMuseums:AProposalforImplementingaGeneralistScrumMaster
Keywords:museumstudies,organizationalchange,agileprojectmanagement,scrummaster
by
VincentSulit
CapstoneprojectsubmittedinpartialfulfillmentoftherequirementsfortheDegreeofMasterofArtsinMuseumStudies
DepartmentofArt+ArchitectureUniversityofSanFrancisco
______________________________________________________________________________FacultyAdvisor:MarjorieSchwarzer
______________________________________________________________________________ActingAcademicDirector:CatherineH.Lusheck
December15,2017
1
TableofContentsAbstract 2Chapter1:Introduction 3Chapter2:LiteratureReview 6 A:ChangeinMuseums 6 B:ChangeinthePrivateSector 10 C:DesignThinking 14 D:AgileProjectManagement 15 E:AgileinMuseums 16Chapter3:ProposalofaGeneralistScrumMaster 19Chapter4:ActionPlan 23Chapter5:Conclusion 26 AppendixA:AnnotatedBibliography 29AppendixB:ProjectStakeholders 34AppendixC:GlossaryofTerms 36SourcesConsulted 37
2
Abstract Thiscapstoneprojectexaminesorganizationalchange,alongwithitschallenges,
throughcasestudiesinmuseumsandbusinessesintheprivatesector,subsequentlyprovidinga
possiblesolutionformuseumstoadapttothecurrentglobalmarketeconomythroughtheuse
ofAgileProjectManagement(Agile).Iciterecentcasestudiesofartmuseumsimplementing
Agilefordigitalproductdevelopment.ThisprojectproposalaimstointroduceAgileoutsideof
digitaldepartments,includingExhibitionsandEducation,withthegoalofdevelopingbetter
visitor-centeredofferingsfrommuseums.Thismaybeachievedthroughtheproposalofajob
descriptionforanewmuseumpositionofGeneralistScrumMaster,alongwithathree-year
strategyofimplementingAgileProjectManagementacrossvariousmuseumdepartments,
includingdigital,exhibitions,andeducation.
Keywords:museumstudies,organizationalchange,agileprojectmanagement,scrummaster
3
Introduction Intoday’sfast-changingglobaleconomy,sometimesreferredtoasthe“sharing”
economy(BotsmanandRoo,2010,p.xv),companiesarevyingtodisrupt,ormorespecifically
useoridentify“disruptivetechnology,”inordertobecompetitive(Christensen,2016,p.xi).The
currentmarkethasallowedcompanieslikeAirbnbandUbertoemergeasleadersinmarkets
thatpreviouslydidnotexist.Duringthisprocess,thetraditionalbusinessmodelsforthehotel
andtaxiindustrieshavelostmarketshareandcustomers.Themuseumfieldisnoexceptionto
thecurrentandfutureeconomy.Inaneraof“ArtintheAgeofInstagram,”atermcoinedby
museumdigitalstrategist,JiaJiaFei(2016),contemporaryartmuseumsarefacingfierce
competitionfrompop-upinstallations,suchastheColorFactoryandtheMuseumofIceCream.
OnOctober27,2017,anarticleonWired.comstatedthatin2016,theMuseumofIceCreamin
NewYorkwassoldoutofits300,000allottedticketswithinthespaceof5days.OnNovember
29,2017,ARTnews.comrankedtheMuseumofIceCreamasthesixthmostInstagrammed
MuseumintheUnitedStates,justaheadoftheSanFranciscoMuseumofModernArt.Ibelieve
thatifmoretraditionalmuseumsdonotadapttothecurrentmarketplaceandthe
technologicalbusinessmodelsthatsupportit,theytoowilllosevisitorstootherattractionslike
theaforementionedpop-ups.Thiscapstoneprojectexaminesorganizationalchangethrough
casestudiesinmuseumsandbusinesses,subsequentlyprovidingapossiblesolutionfor
museumstoadapttothecurrentmarketandfocusondeliveringvisitor-centeredexhibitions
andprogrammingthroughtheuseofAgileProjectManagement.Iproposeajobdescriptionfor
anewmuseumpositionofGeneralistScrumMastertoleadAgileteamsthatworkinself-
sustainingandhorizontallystructuredteamsinorderformuseumstodevelopbetterofferings.
4
Thetop-downorganizationalstructuretowhichmuseumshavetraditionallyadheredto
isnolongerrelevantintoday’seconomy.AsprominentbusinesstheoristandwriterHenry
Mintzberg(1996)states:“Theonlythingachiefexecutivesitsatopisanorganizationchart…
Themostprominentofallcorporateartifactsnevergetsdowntorealproductsandreal
services,letalonethepeoplewhodealwiththemeveryday.It’sasiftheorganizationexistsfor
themanagement”(HarvardBusinessReview,July1,1996).Mintzberg’sarticlecriticizingthe
organizationalstructureofcorporatemanagementwaswrittenwellovertwentyyearsago.
However,itisaccurateindescribingthecurrentstateofthemuseumfield.Whiletodaythe
corporatesectoradaptstothemarketandremainsagile,themuseumfieldstrugglestoadapt
tothebusinessenvironmentoftodayandtomorrow.
Thiscapstoneprojectfocusesonthewritingsbyprominentchangeadvocatesinthe
museumfield,includingRobertJanes,ElaineGurian,NinaSimon,andPeterSamis.These
authorscallattentionfortheneedtobreakawayfromtraditionalandoutdatedorganizational
businessmodels.Inwhatfollows,Icitecommonalitiesfromtheirresearchandmuseumworkto
supporttheneedforchangeinmuseums.Next,Icitecasestudiesoforganizationalchangein
thecorporatesector,providingevidenceofsuccessfulchangemeasuresapplicableto
museums.
Icompareandcontrastcurrentbusinessanddesignstrategies,includingDesignThinking
andAgileProjectManagement.Theseiterativeproductandservicedesignprocesseshaveroots
inthetechnology(tech)sector.Thetechsectorhasseentremendousgrowthoverthepast
quartercentury,especiallyinthewesternUnitedStates.Thisgrowthhasforcedbusinesses
outsideoftechtore-evaluatetheirbusinessmodels,orfacefailureinthemarketplace.Think
5
abouthowcompanieslikeAmazon,Airbnb,andUberhavetransformedthemarket.Evensome
ofthecompaniesthatbusinessguru,JimCollins,oncetoutedas“great”companiesinhis
seminalbookGoodtoGreat(2001),suchasCircuitCity,havefailedtosurvivethechallengesof
anever-evolvingbusinessworldduetotheirinabilitytocompetewithnewermodelsofproduct
developmentanddistribution.
Inthefollowingchapter,Iwillcitea2015casestudyofNewYorkCity’sMuseumof
ModernArt(MoMA)implementingtheiterativeprocessofAgileasanevaluativemethodinthe
re-designofitswebsite.ThiscasestudyshedslightontheadoptionofAgilebyamajormodern
artmuseumandthepotentialforothermuseumstoconsiderimplementingAgileintothe
redesignofmuseumproductsandservices.Italsodrawscorrelationstotheexhibitionteam
approachthroughtheinclusionofthe“audienceadvocate.”Theexhibitionteamapproach,
describedbyElaineGurian,establishedanewwayofdevelopingexhibitionsattheBoston
Children’sMuseuminthe1970s(Gurian,p.163).Thisapproachwasconsideredradicalatthe
timebecauseitaskedmuseumstoconsidertheperspectivesofamuseum’saudience,as
opposedtosolelythepointofviewofacurator.Withsimilarintent,MoMA’scurrentuseof
“audienceadvocates”isto“provideanexcellentandaccessibleexperienceforarangeofusers
bysharingtheirknowledgeofMoMA’spublicandconductingusertestingofthewebsite
redesign”(Armstrong,p.393).
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LiteratureReview
A.ChangeinMuseums
NinaSimon,directoroftheSantaCruzMuseumofArtandHistory(MAH),describesthe
“paradoxofrelevance”throughtheanecdoteofusingtherightkeytoopentherightdoor
(Simon,p.31).Throughchangeinitiatives,Simonhassuccessfullyturnedaroundthefaltering
SantaCruzMuseumofArtandHistorybymakingthemuseumrelevanttoitscommunity.
OnechangeinitiativeimplementedatMAHrespondedtoanissueconcerningrelevance
tothemuseum’smission.InaddressingMAH’swell-attendedandfreeFirstFridayevents,
Simon(2016)states,“Peoplespentalltheirtimedancing,eating,andsocializingontheground
floor.Veryfewmadeitupstairstotheexhibitiongalleries”(p.46).Themuseumthusdecidedto
discontinuefreefoodforFirstFridays,sincethefreefoodhadnorelevancetothemuseum’s
missionto“ignitesharedexperiencesandunexpectedconnections.”Simondescribesthefree
foodasa“literalbarriertopeoplevisitingtheexhibitions,becausetheycouldn’tbringtheir
platesintothegalleries”(p.46).Aftereliminatingthefreefoodandsimultaneouslyaddingart
activitieswhichwererelevanttomissiontotheFirstFridayprogramming,attendance
ultimatelyincreasedthree-foldovertime.MAHsuccessfullyconnecteditscommunitytothe
museum’sart.Theaddedartactivitiesservedastherightanecdotaldoorstothemuseum’s
exhibitiongalleries.ThischangewassparkedfromtheconceptofrelevancetoMAH’s
community,inconjunctionwithSimon’sprogressivethinking.Butwhyelsemightmuseums
implementchange?
ThemuseumtheoristElaineGurian(1990)states,“Theychangebecausetheyfearthe
consequencesofnotdoingso,andonlythenarewillingtooverridethecriesofanguishfrom
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thediscomforted”(p.77).Gurian’slistofreasonsamuseummightchangeitsapproachand
operationsinclude:thecontinualchangeindemographicsofpopulation,discoveryofbiased
information,andeveninstabilityofthestockmarket.Theseexternalfactorsmayinduce
museumstochangeoradapttotheiraudiences,re-evaluatecontent,orre-examine
endowments.Gurianalsosuggeststhatmuseumscontinuallyreassesstheirmission
statements.
TheimpetusforchangeattheGlenbowMuseuminCalgary,Canada,wasinitiatedby
severecutsingovernmentfunding.Uponstartinghisrolein1989asExecutiveDirectoratthe
Glenbow,RobertJanesexperiencedtheineffectivenessofaverticalhierarchyfirst-hand.Janes
wasscoldedforspeakingdirectlywithadepartmenthead,withoutfirstspeakingwiththat
department’sassistantdirector(Janes,p.14).Thisillustratesthedisconnectofstaffthroughthe
layersofbureaucratichierarchy.Additionally,itexposesthedifficultyinimplementingchange
oforganizationalculturebecausepeoplefeelthattheyneedtoprotecttheirterritoryandeven
theirjobs.
Throughtheimplementationofseveralchangeinitiatives,theGlenbowwasableto
surviveitschallengingfinancialturmoil.Themuseumdevelopedacorporateplan,which
adoptedmanagementprinciplesemphasizingashifttoaproject-basedorganization,aswellas
anopencultureforcommunication.TheGlenbowaffirmeditsdesiretobecomefinanciallyself-
sustainable.Additionally,theGlenbowre-envisioneditsmissionstatementtobeinclusiveofa
“qualityfirst”perspective.Finally,themuseumdevelopedastrategicplanthatimplemented
performancemeasures.Janes(1995)states,“Thisisdoublyimportantasthecompetitionfor
publicandprivatefundingincreases,forcingmuseumstobeabletodemonstrateeffectiveness”
8
(p.24).Subsequently,theGlenbowwasabletonegotiatefundingwiththeprovinceofAlbertaa
fewyearslater.
IndescribingJanes’preferenceoforganizationalform,socialanthropologistMichaelM.
Ames(1995)states,“Janesadvocatesahorizontalandparticipatorytypeoforganizationin
contrasttowhathedescribesasthemoretraditionalhierarchicalandcentralized
administrativesystems…Itcomesfromouranthropologicalexperience:thehuntingband,as
opposedtourbanbureaucracy…Leadersemergeaccordingtotheskillsrequiredforthetaskat
hand.Itistheclassicteam-basedorganization…”(Ames,inJanes,p.2).
TechnologistPeterSamis(2017)atteststothepotentialof,ifnoteventual,changeof
thehierarchicalmodel:“Mostmuseumshavelong-establishedandclearlydefinedprotocols
andhierarchies.Newwaysofworkingultimatelyshifttraditionalstructuresandmayendup
equalizingrolesorflatteninghierarchies”(p.6).Samis’visitor-centeredcasestudyoftheVan
AbbeMuseuminEindhoven,Netherlands,undertheleadershipofitsdirector,CharlesEsche,
depictsamuseumthatbreaksawayfromtraditionalmodesthrough“radicalhospitality”(p.
145).Theconceptof“radicalhospitality”issimilartotheapproachusedbyNinaSimonin
transformingtheMAHtobecomerelevanttothecommunity.
OneexampleofaradicalhospitalitychangeimplementedattheVanAbbefeatureda
counternarrativetoitsElLissitzkyexhibition.ByincludinggraffititextfromBulgarian
contemporaryartist,NedkoSolakov,theexhibitionallowedfortwocounteringnarratives,
allowingvisitorstotakeinartistperspectivesfromdifferentculturesanderas.Solakov’s
contentcounteredtheSoviet-erastatementsoftheexhibition’sprimarynarrativeinorderto
sparkanopendialogueforvisitors(Samis,p.149).
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AmoreparticipativevisitorengagementattheVanAbbearrivedviaLETS,orLive
EncounterTaggingSystem.ThroughLETS,visitorsareabletoapplytheirownwalllabelsnextto
objectlabelsinthemuseum’sgalleries,furthersparkingnew,visitor-centereddialogues.Samis
states,“Escheunderminedthetime-honored‘museumastreasurehouse’modeof
presentation”(Samis,p.145). Escheencouragedvisitorstotagtheirownlabels,asopposedto
relyingontheviewpointofoneexpert'sobjectlabel.Thesenewwaysofparticipativeinclusion
wouldnothavesurfacedunderthe “museumastreasurehouse”approach.
Inadditiontore-examiningtheVanAbbe’sapproachtocontent,Eschealso
implementedorganizationchangeinitiatives.Samisexplains:
Intheefforttobreakdownentrenchedsilosandmakethestaffitselfmorecollaborative,Escheinstitutednewteamprocesses,reshuffledreportingstructures,andcreatedanewposition—ExperienceDesigner—whosejobistobridgethegulfbetweentraditionalcuratorialandeducationrolesinawaythatisbothcleverabouttheartandattunedtothevisitors(p.145).
Eschedescribesorganizationalcharts“asanorientationdevice.Themoresecurityyoucangive,
themorecapacityforchangepeoplehave,actually”(p.153).Theorganizationalchange
initiatives,alongwithitsradicalhospitalityapproachtovisitors,haveenabledtheVanAbbeto
improveuponcollaborationbyconnectingwithaudiencesandbreakingawayfromatraditional
organizationstructure.
Thesynthesisofthismaterialsuggeststhatchangeisnecessaryformuseumstobe
sustainable,whetherit’sforreasonsoffinancialsustainabilityorfindingmoreparticipativeor
engagingapproachestoconnectingwithaudiences.Janes,Gurian,Simon,andSamisallcometo
theconclusionthatmuseumsmustshiftawayfromtraditionalhierarchies.Theirvernacular
utilizesphraseslike“relevance,”“audienceadvocate,”“visitor-centered,”“radicalhospitality,”
10
and“participatory”(Simon,2016;Gurian,1990;Samis,2017;Simon,2010).Thesemuseum
leadersadvocateformuseumstorefocustheireffortsindeliveringmeaningfulcontentto
communities.
B.ChangeinthePrivateSector
Ihavementionedanumberofreasonswhymuseumsmayimplementchange,butnowI
willexplorewhatdriveschangeinbusinessworldoutsideofmuseums.HirotakaTakeuchiand
IkujiroNonaka(1986)state:
Changesintheenvironment–intensifiedcompetition,asplinteredmassmarket,shortenedproductlifecycles,andadvancedtechnologyandautomation–areforcingmanagementtoreconsiderthetraditionalwaysofcreatingproducts.Aproductthatarrivesafewmonthslatecaneasilyloseseveralmonthsofpayback(HarvardBusinessReview,January1,1986).
TakeuchiandNonakaresearchedJapaneseandAmericancompanies,suchasHondaand3M,in
advocatingforananecdotal“rugbyapproach”totheprocessofproductdevelopment.
TakeuchiandNonakaexplain:
Undertherugbyapproach,theproductdevelopmentprocessemergesfromtheconstantinteractionofahand-pickedmultidisciplinaryteamwhosemembersworktogetherfromstarttofinish.Ratherthanmovingindefined,highlystructuredstages,theprocessisbornoutofteammembers’interplay(p.138).
Thisapproachtoproductdevelopmentbyworkinginarugby“scrum”datesbackoverthirty
years.Inordertoimprovetheprocessofproductdevelopment,therugbyapproachchallenged
themodelofworkingintraditionalhierarchiesandsilos.TakeuchiandNonakadescribethe
rugbyapproachasa“holisticmethod…theballgetspassedwithintheteamasitmovesasa
unitupthefield…itisavehicleforintroducingcreative,market-drivenideasandprocessesinto
anold,rigidorganization”(p.137).Theauthorsemphasizethatcompaniesthatdonotadaptby
adaptingorchangingtheirworkmethodswillbecomeobsolete.
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TakeuchiandNonakaciteacasestudyoftheHondaCityprojectteaminJapan(p.139).
Thegoalofthisteamwastodevelopacarforyoungadults.Hondaplacedyoungengineerson
theteam,sincetheteamwouldbedevelopingthisproductfortheirowndemographic.This
approachdrawscomparisonstothe“audienceadvocate”intheteamexhibitionmodel,
discussedbyGurian.Audienceadvocatesareabletoprovideinsightsateachstepofthe
developmentprocessandthisisaninvaluableasset.
AsTakeuchiandNonakaexplain,“TheHondateam…consistedofhand-pickedmembers
fromR&D,production,andsales.Thecompanywentastepfurtherbyplacingawidevarietyof
personalitiesoftheteam.Suchdiversityfosterednewideasandconcepts”(p.140).Still
drawingparallelstothemuseumexhibitionteammodel,thisprocessofbuildingcross-
disciplinaryteamssuggeststhatthestatusquoofnon-crossdisciplinaryteamsthatrelyon
peoplewithasingularviewpointdonotbringaboutnewideas.
LikeMintzberg’s1996article,criticalofthetraditionalorganizationalchart,Takeuchi
andNonakaaddressedthenecessitythatcompaniesmustadaptandbecomeflexibledueto
challengesofthemarket,suchascompetition,theshortlifespanofproducts,andrapid
technologicalchanges,somedecadesago.Yet,asidefromahandfulofradical-ethosadopting
institutions,discussedintheprevioussection,museumsgenerallyremainreluctanttochange.
Anotherauthorcriticaloforganizationalcomplacency,JimCollins(2001),asksthe
question,“Canagoodcompanybecomeagreatcompanyand,ifso,how”(Collins,p.5)?In
2001,Collins’“goodtogreat”companiesincludedCircuitCity,Kimberly-Clark,Kroger,and
Walgreens.Thestudyobserved“goodtogreat”companiesovervarious15-yearperiodsof
stockgrowth,broughtuponbya“transitionpoint,”apointintimewhereasignificantchange
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occurred.Thesecompanieswerethencontrastedtodirect“comparisoncompanies”that
remainedjustgood.
Collins’casestudyofKimberly-Clarkillustrateswhatbroughtchangeatthepaper
productscompanyandhowKimberly-Clarkadvancedfromagoodtoagreatcompany.Ata
timewhenthecompany’sstockpriceunderperformedthemarketby36percent,Kimberley-
ClarkappointedDarwinE.SmithasCEO(p.17).Kimberly-Clark’sturnaroundstemmedfrom
Smith’sdecisiontosellthecompany’smills,whichaccountedforthecompany’s“traditional
corebusiness”ofcoatedpaper.Thecompanythenrefocuseditseffortstowardconsumer
paperproducts(p.20).Afterthechangeinleadershipandcompanydirection,Kimberly-Clark
outperformeditscompetitioninthepaperworldandoutperformedthestockmarketbyover
fourtimes,accordingtoCollins.Kimberly-Clarkbecameagreatcompanybyaddressingits
challengeofsignificantlyunderperformingthestockmarket.Itplacedaleaderinchargewho
wasnotreluctanttoimplementamajorchangetoitscorebusiness.Ultimately,thisishowthe
companywithstoodcompetitionfromrivals,likeProctor&Gamble,andenjoyedsuccessfor20
yearsafterits“transitionpoint.”
ThiscasestudydrawsparallelstoRobertJanesandtheGlenbowMuseum.Janeswas
appointedDirectorduringatimeofdrasticcutsofgovernmentfunding,inasimilarmannerto
Smith’sappointmentasCEOofKimberly-Clarkatatimeofdrasticdownturn.Radicalchange
initiativeswerenecessarytoaddressthefinancialchallengestheseorganizationsfaced.
Unfortunately,Collins’studyexcludesstartups,asmanystartupsatthattimedidnot
meetcriteriaforhisstudy.Sincemanyofcompaniesinthissampleweretraditionalbrick&
mortarretailersortraditionalspaces,thestudydidn’taccountforcompanieslikeAmazon.com,
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amongothercriteriaineligibleduetoitslackofafifteen-yearexistencein2001,that
transformedretail.CircuitCity,oneofCollins’“goodtogreat”companies,nolongerexists,
whichemphasizestheneedfororganizationstocontinuallybeadaptiveandflexibletosucceed
inthemarketplace.
Inordertobecomeaglobalautomotivecompetitor,FordMotorsstreamlinedvarious
regionaldepartmentsandfocusedon“horizontalintegration”inthemid-1990s(Carnall,p.47).
Thisallowedthecompanytoavoidoversupplytovariousmarketsunderitsoperations.
AccordingtoColinCarnall(2014),whoseworkfocuseson“changearchitecture,”“Ford
establishedfivevehiclecentrestotakelifetimeresponsibilityforthedevelopmentofall
vehiclesofagivenclassproducedandsoldanywhereintheworld.InadditionFordhascreated
asingleglobalunitfortechnologydevelopment”(p.47).Thestrategicchangestoits
organizationalstructureallowedFordtobecomemorecompetitiveintheglobalmarket,while
facilitatingitsvehiclecenterstobecomemoreresponsivetothechangedmarketundera
unifiedleadership.
Fordflatteneditshierarchiesthroughitshorizontalintegration,comparabletothe
mannersuggestedbySamisregardingthefutureofmuseums.Fordalsoeliminatedutilization
ofitssequentialprocessapproachtoproductdevelopment,whichdrawssimilaritiestothe
“sashimi”methoddescribedbyTakeuchiandNonaka.TakeuchiandNonakastate,“Sashimiis
slicesofrawfisharrangesonaplate,onesliceoverlappingtheother”(p.141).Thestraying
awayfromthesequentialapproachinfavorofanoverlappingmodelinFord’sproduct
developmentaddresseditspreviouschallengeofdisconnectbetweendesignersand
manufacturers,accordingtoCarnall.Thechangeprovidesforgreaterorganizationalefficiency.
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C.DesignThinking
Onedesignmethodthatthemuseumfieldhasrecentlyembracedis“designthinking.”
Earlyuseoftheterm,designthinking,datesbackto1987inPeterG.Rowe’sbookofthesame
name.Rowe’sbookexamineshumanproblemsolvingapproaches,primarilyinarchitectural
design.Rowe(1987)states,“Iamconcernedwiththeinteriorsituationallogicandthedecision-
makingprocessesofdesignersinaction,aswellaswiththeoreticaldimensionsthatboth
accountforandinformthisundertaking”(p.2).ThesequentialmodelspresentedbyRowe,
fromvariousauthors,alludetoearly,archaic,andcomplexprocessesofthedesignthinking
modelmostpeoplearefamiliarwithtoday.
Thephrase“designthinking”accordingtoTimBrown(2009),CEOofthedesignfirm
IDEO,is:“asawayofdescribingasetofprinciplesthatcanbeappliedbydiversepeopletoa
widerangeofproblems”(Brown,p.7).DesignideologyfromIDEOandStanfordUniversity’s
d.SchoolinPaloAlto,California,aresynonymousduetotheworkofDavidKelley,oneofIDEO’s
founders.DesignThinkinghasevolvedfromRowe’searlyexaminationofreiterativedesign
processesfromarchitecturaldesignerstoanempathy-basedprocessthatisnowcommonly
usedinavarietyofbusinesses,asdescribedbyBrown.Brownstates,“Frompediatricobesityto
crimepreventiontoclimatechange,designthinkingisnowbeingappliedtoarangeof
challenges…”(p.7).
DanaMitroffSilvers,formerHeadofWebattheSanFranciscoMuseumofModernArt
(SFMOMA),discussesstrategiestoembeddesignthinkingintomuseums.UsingtheDenver
MuseumofNatureandScience(DMNS)asacasestudy,DanaMitroffSilvers(2017)states:
Themuseum’sseniorleadershiphaskickedoffanew,cross-museuminitiativetoinvestigateandexplorewaystobuilddeeperandmoremeaningfulconnectionswiththe
15
localcommunity.Andoneofthewaystheyhavesetouttodothisisthroughanewwayofworkingandcollaboratinginternally:designthinking(p.155).
TheprocessofembeddingdesignthinkingtomaketheDMNSmorerelevanttoitscommunity
involvedorganization-widestaffparticipationonnewexhibitions,empathytowardsDMNS’
audience,andthewillingnesstotrynewthingsinanewway.
DesignthinkingservedastheDMNS’changeinitiativetoaddresstheissueofrelevance
toitscommunity.ToreferenceNinaSimon’sanecdoteoffindingtherightkeytotherightdoor,
designthinkingmayhavebeentherightdoortobridgingthecommunitytotheDMNS.
TheproblemwithDesignThinkingisthatitlimitsitselftoa5-stepprocess.Every
companyandorganizationisdifferent,soa5-stepdesignthinkingprocessmaynotnecessarily
workforeveryorganization.Thisleadsmetosuggestmuseumsapplyamoresolidified
organizationalstrategy:AgileProjectManagement.
D.AgileProjectManagement JimHighsmith(2010),co-authorofearlyAgiledoctrines:ManifestoforAgileSoftware
DevelopmentandtheDeclarationofInterdependence,states,“Agilityistheabilitytoboth
createandrespondtochangeinordertoprofitinaturbulentbusinessenvironment.Agilityis
theabilitytobalanceflexibilityandstability”(Highsmith,p.13).LikeTakeuchi,Nonaka,and
Collins,Highsmitharticulatestheimportanceofflexibility.Thetermscrum,asin“scrum
master”ofanagileteamoriginatesfromTakeuchiandNonaka’s1986articlethataddressedthe
holistic“rugbyapproach.”WhileAgileProjectManagementhasitsrootsinsoftwareproduct
development,Agilehasbeenappliedtotheautomotiveindustry,amongotherfields.Agile’s
fastanditerativeprocessallowedBMWtoimplementseveralautomotivecrashsimulations,
reducingactualphysicalautomotivecrashesfortestingpurposes(p.7).
16
Highsmithemphasizesreplacingtheoutdated“IronTriangle,”approachtoperformance
measurement,whichfocusesprimarilyonscope,thencostandschedule,withthe“Agile
Triangle,”whichfocusesprimarilyonvalue,thenqualityandconstraints(p.21).Highsmith
placesvalue/customersbeforetheconstraintsof“scope,schedule,andcost.”Theoriginal“Iron
Triangle”iscommonlyutilizedintraditionalprojectmanagementsettings.However,itfailsto
takeintoaccountvalue,orstakeholders,asillustratedinthe“AgileTriangle.”
HighsmithlistskeyobjectivesforAgileProjectManagement:Continuousinnovation,
productadaptability,improvedtime-to-market,peopleandprocessadaptability,andreliable
results(p.10).Theseobjectivesareapplicabletomuseums.Whiledesignthinkingmayspark
initialcreativityorinnovation,theiterativestructureofworkinginagilewithanagilecoachor
scrummastersuggestsgreatersustainability.
E.AgileinMuseums
Agilehasrecentlydebutedinthemuseumfield.Coincidingwithitsbuildingrenovation,
theMuseumofModernArtinNewYorkisredesigningitswebsite,withtheuseofAgile
evaluation.AccordingtoArmstrong(2017),MoMA“takesinputfromagroupof“audience
advocates”representingvariousdepartmentsatMoMA(includingDigitalMedia,Education,
Membership,VisitorServices,ManagementInformation,andMarketing.)”(Armstrong,p.393).
Thisteamofaudienceadvocatesmeetseverytwoweekstoassistwiththewebsite’sredesign.
TheaudienceadvocatesofMoMA’svariousdepartmentsdrawparallelstothe1970sprocessof
theexhibitionteamdesignattheBostonChildren’sMuseum.
AsGurianstates:“Topreventtheunbalancingoftherepresentation,eachadvocate
formallyactsonbehalfoffellowcolleaguesandadvisorsintheirfieldofconcern,allofwhom
17
haveastakeinseeingthattheirinterestsareaddressed”(Gurian,p.163).ThisadoptionofAgile
asanevaluativemethodissignificantbecauseoftheamountofstakeholdersinvolvedinthe
redesignprocess.Thevariousdepartmentadvocatescanprovideinputfortheirdemographic,
similarlytotheHondaCityteamdesigningacarfortheirparticulardemographic.Although
Agile’susehereisprimarilyiterativefeedbackforadigitalteam,thecross-disciplinaryeffortsof
MoMAillustratetheadaptabilityofmuseumstafftoworkinanagileteam.
Inthenextchapter,IproposeajobdescriptionforanewmuseumpositionofGeneralist
ScrumMasterinamuseumsettinginordertoapplyAgileProjectManagement(Agile)to
traditionallyoutdatedorganizationalstructures,withanemphasisofaddingvalueand
relevancetomuseumvisitors.Curatorialdepartmentsinmajorartmuseumsaregenerally
structuredthroughatop-downhierarchy,withaHeadCuratorsupervisingoverAssociate
CuratorsandCuratorialAssistants.Therearesomeexceptionsinsmallermuseums,likethe
teamexhibitionmodeldescribedbyGurianthattakesintoaccount“audienceadvocates”and
museumsthathaveadoptedradicalethosofparticipatorycurating,suchasMAHandtheVan
Abbe.IseektoapplyAgileProjectManagementtothethreemuseumdepartments,including
Digital,Exhibitions,andEducation,inordertobringgreatervaluetomuseumstakeholders.My
proposaldescribesvariousaspectsofAgileProjectManagement,includingliftoffsandsprints.
Iintroducecounterargumentstootherdesignmethods(i.e.designthinking)that
museumshavecurrentlyembraced,includingNatashaJen’s2017presentation,DesignThinking
isBullshit,givenatthe99UConferenceinNewYorkCity,NewYork.Thesecounterarguments
willvalidatemychoiceofimplementingAgileoverDesignThinking.Iwillprovideevidenceof
trendsinmuseumsstartingtoimplementAgile,asinthecaseoftheMetropolitanMuseumof
18
Art’srecenthiringofascrummasterforitsdigitalteam.Finally,Imakerecommendationsto
exploreotherdepartments,asidefromDigital,thatmaybenefitfromimplementingAgile
ProjectManagement.
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ProposalofaGeneralistScrumMaster IproposetodevelopajobdescriptionforanewmuseumpositionofGeneralistScrum
MasterwhocouldpotentiallyimplementAgileProjectManagementacrossvariousmuseum
departmentsandimprovemuseums’responsivenesstomarketsandaudiences.Agileemerged
fromthetechnologysectorforitsuseinsoftwareproductdevelopment.InMayof2017,the
MetropolitanMuseumofArtinNewYorkCity(theMet)postedapositiononLinkedIn.comfor
aScrumMasterforitsDigital(Software)Department.Thispostingprovidesevidencethat
museumsareinterestedinintegratingscrummastersintotheirdigitalproductdevelopment
processes.Thepositionwouldworkwiththreescrumteamsintheareasof“audienceoutreach,
theMuseum’scollection,andtransactionsystems(2017).”Thepostedpositionischaracterized
bya“servantleadershipstyle.”A“servantleadershipstyle”appliesateam-firstoutlookto
leadershipapproach.Otherattributeslistedinthisjobdescriptioninclude“self-organizing,”
“removingimpediments,”“improvingtransparency,”and“collaborativeproblemsolving.”
WhiletheMet’sScrumMasterfocusesonsoftwaredevelopmentacrossthesethreeteams,my
proposedGeneralistScrumMasterpositionfocusesonimplementingAgileoutsideofadigital
department,inordertoimagineadifferentorganizationalstructureinmuseumsthatwillbe
moreinclusiveofdiverseviewpoints,flexibilityintheworkplace,andfocusonaudience.
MyproposalenvisionsthataframeworkofAgileProjectManagementcanbeadapted
toindividualmuseumorganizations.IhavechosenAgileProjectManagementbecausea
CertifiedScrumMaster,whoutilizestheprinciplesandmethodsofAgile,possessesan
advancedskillsetinprojectmanagementandcancoachateamthrougha“servantleadership
style.”Thegoalofmyproposalistopositionthemuseumfieldtobettercompeteinafast-
20
changingglobalmarketspace,throughinternalorganizationalchangethatmayresultin
providingvaluetomuseumaudiences.MyproposedGeneralistScrumMasterpositionwould
adoptthepreviously-mentionedethosofSimon,Gurian,Janes,andSamisof“relevance,”
“audienceadvocate,”“visitor-centered,”“radicalhospitality,”and“participatory,”inorderto
addvaluetomuseums’internalorganizationalstructuresandmuseums’primaryproduct,its
exhibitions.Inmyhypotheticalmodel,theproductowneristhemuseumvisitor.
AlthoughtheVanAbbeMuseum,abidingbyits“radicalhospitality”ethos,had
implementedanewmuseumpositionofExperienceDesignertoworkacrossmuseum
departmentsandoperations,adesignerdoesn’tnecessarilypossesstheprojectmanagement
prowessofaCertifiedScrumMasteroranAgileCoach.Adesigner“designs,”butmaynot
necessarilyseethroughallaspectsandphasesofaproject.Andunlikedesignthinking,which
accordingtoPentagramdesigner,NatashaJen,lacksacrucialcomponentofthedesignprocess
knownas“crit,”shortforcritique,Agileprovidesalong-termviablestrategytoproductor
servicedevelopment.Jen’s2017presentation,“DesignThinkingisBullshit,”advocatesfor
productsderivedthroughtheDesignThinkingprocesstobesharedwiththepublicinorderfor
thedesigncommunitytocritiquetheseproducts.
IenvisionthattheGeneralistScrumMasterwillhavebothexperienceindigitalproduct
orservicedevelopmentandsomeexperienceinnon-profitadministration.Thepositionwillcall
forAgileCoaching,initiallyworkingwithanartmuseum’sDigitalDepartment,asagatewayto
thefirstphaseofAgileProjectManagementimplementation.CurrentDigitalteammembersat
themuseumwillhavepreviousexperienceorfamiliaritywithscrum,allowingforasmooth
initialimplementationofadigitalscrumteamcollaboration.Asmentionedintheprevious
21
chapter,MoMAiscurrentlyutilizing“AgileEvaluation”fortheredesignofthemuseum’s
website(Armstrong,p.393).Initialworkwithadigitalteamwillprovidefortangible
deliverablestobepresentedatfuture“liftoff,”orkickoff,meetingsfornewAgileteams,with
benefitsoftheAgileprocessexplainedtoindividualsnewtoprocess.
ThisinitialphasefortheGeneralistScrumMasterwilldoubleasaresearchand
discoveryprocessofmuseumdepartmentsoutsideofdigital.TheGeneralistScrumMasterwill
researchtheorganization’sCuratorial,Exhibitions,andEducationdepartmentsthrough
conductinginterviewsacrosstheseandothermuseumdepartments,withthegoalof
assemblingscrumteamsinthenextphaseoftherole.
ThissecondphasecallsforassemblingscrumteamsinthedepartmentsofExhibitions
andEducation.Forexample,itmaybebeneficialtohaveastaffmemberfromOperations
involvedintheExhibitionDesignprocessinordertoprovideinsightsintologistics,materials
budgeting,andsoon.Forexample,havingsomeonefromtheCollectionsDepartmentworking
withsomeonefromtheEducationDepartmentcouldbetterserveschoolgrouptours.An
additional“audienceadvocate”agileteamwillbeassembledtoevaluateproductsandservices
developedacrossthevariousagileteams,similartoMoMA’sagileevaluationteam.Thissecond
phaseincludestheGeneralistScrumMastersettingupliftoffmeetingforthethreenewly
formedscrumteams,whereinitialgoals,stakeholders,andchallengesarediscussed.
Afterthescrumteamsoutsideofdigitalhavebeenassembledandorganizedinthe
secondphase,thethirdphaseinvolvesscrumteamsbecomingsustainable,self-organized,and
developingproductsorservicesonabi-weekly“sprint”cycle.Thescrumteamswouldhave
deadlinesoftheirrespectiveproductsorserviceseverytwoweeks,whichistypicalofAgile
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teamsinsoftwaredevelopment.Thegeneralistscrummasterwouldworkacrossallteamsby
coachingtheteamsinscrumprinciplesmentionedabove.
Inwhatfollows,IhavecreatedanactionplanthatanewlyhiredGeneralistScrum
MasterinamuseumcouldpotentiallyfollowinordertosuccessfullyimplementAgileProject
Managementworkflowacrossvariousmuseumdepartmentsforthreeyears,orphases,upon
commencementofthisposition,assumingapprovalofthenewpositionbyHumanResources
andfundingforthepositionbytheBoardofTrustees.
26
Conclusion Thehypotheticalthree-yearstrategypresentedinthepreviouschapterpresents
opportunitiestoinformmuseumwidestaffmembersoftheGeneralistScrumMaster’sprogress
andcompleteddeliverablesduringquarterlyall-staffmeetingsandindividual/teammeetings
overthecourseofthethree-yearprojectplan.ProductsandServicesthatemergefromscrum
teamsshouldbepresentedatmuseumconferences,suchasAmericanAllianceofMuseums,in
ordertopresentresultstothegreatermuseumcommunity.Thethree-yearstrategyaimsto
provideaframeworkandtimetableforimplementingwhatmaybedescribedasradical
organizationchangeinthemuseumfield.However,withoutradicalthinking,prominent
museumchangeadvocatesandleaderslikeNinaSimon,RobertJanes,andCharlesEschewould
nothavebeenabletoimpactthecommunitiesoftherespectivemuseumstheyled.
Possiblemeasuresofsuccessofthishypotheticalmodelinvolveperformingcompetitive
analysiswiththeproductandserviceofferingsofotherequivalentartmuseums.Asurvey
featuringamixtureofquantitativeandqualitativequestionsshouldbepresentedtomuseum
visitorstoincorporatefeedbacktothemuseum.Traditionalmeasuresofmuseumsuccess
observeattendancelevels,whichcorrelatetoincreasedordecreasedrevenue,whilemore
currentmeasuresofmuseumsuccessmaybetoobservesocialmediainteraction.As
mentionedintheintroductiontothiscapstone,thisistheeraof“ArtintheAgeofInstagram.”
ThemeasureofsuccessfromanAgilepointofviewwouldaskthequestion:didtheproductsor
servicesdevelopedthroughtheAgileprocessaddvaluetomuseumvisitors,asdescribedbyJim
Highsmith’sAgileTrianglemodel?
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OnechallengetoapplyingAgileProjectManagementtodepartmentsinartmuseums
likeExhibitionsandEducationisthereluctancefromheadcuratorsandeducatorstoacceptthis
newmodel,asitmaythreatentheexpertiseofcuratorsandeducatorsbecauseitopenstheir
departmentsuptoinputfromothers.Anotherpotentialchallengeofpresentingamodel
focusedonaudienceisthenegativeimplicationofremovingthescholarlycomplexityof
exhibitionssinceacuratororexpertwillnotleadtheprocess.
Astimepasses,thecasestudiesofMoMAandtheMetwillhavedevelopednewdigital
productsthroughtheAgile/scrumprocess,whichwillmakeastrongcaseforotherart
museumstoadoptagileworkmethods.Currentlytheonlywaytomeasureanyprogressfrom
theMetorMoMAwouldbetocomparedigitalproductsofbothinstitutionsbeforeandafter
implementAgile.InthecaseofMoMA,itsmobileapphasrecentlychangedtoaudioguideonly.
Itpreviouslyhadservedseveralfunctions,includingexhibitioninformationandfilmscreenings.
ThechangemayhavebeenaresultfromovercomplicatedfunctionsofthepreviousMoMA
mobileapp.Timepermitting,Iwouldhavelikedtointerviewindividualsfromtheseteamsto
gaingreaterinsightstointotheirteamdynamicsandworkflowwithintheirdepartmentsand
withintheirorganizations.Additionally,itwouldbeinterestingtoinquireaboutthelong-term
goalsofthesedigitalteamsandthenatureofanyothercross-departmentalcollaborations.
In1990,ElaineGurianlistedachangeindemographicsasoneofmanyreasonsa
museummightimplementchange.Today,thepotentialimplementationofAgileProject
ManagementthroughaGeneralistScrumMasterandtheensuingAudienceAdvocatescrum
teamaddressestheneedforadaptingtothechangingdemographicsandsensibilitiesofthe
marketplace.ThegoalofproposingthisnewGeneralistScrumMasterpositionandjob
28
descriptionistoaddressnecessaryorganizationchangeinartmuseums,andrecognizewhatis
happeninginthemarketoutsideoftraditionalartmuseums.IbelievethatapplyingAgile
ProjectManagementtoartmuseumsisaviablesolutiontoprovidingbettermuseumofferings
toreflectthechangesinthemarketplaceoftodayandtomorrow.
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AppendixA:AnnotatedBibliographyArmstrong,J.(2017).AgileEvaluation:UserTestingandtheFeedbackLoopfortheRedesignof
MoMA.org.InTheMuseumBlogBook(pp.392-395).Edinburgh,UK:MuseumsEtc. Thisdiversecollectionofblogpostsbymuseumprofessionalsprovidesinsightsinto
topicscurrentlyconcerningthemuseumfield.JackieArmstrong,AssociateEducator,describeshowMoMAisutilizingAgileEvaluationaspartofthemuseum’sprocessintheredesigneffortsforitswebsite.Across-departmentteamof“audienceadvocates”evaluatesiterations/prototypesofMoMA’sredesignedwebsiteeverytwoweeks,beinginclusiveoftheseaudienceadvocatesduringeachstepofprocess.WhilethiscasestudyisspecifictoAgileasamethodofevaluation,itillustratesamajormodernandcontemporaryartmuseumimplementinganaspectofAgileintoitsnormalorganizationaloperations.
Carnall,C.,&Todnem,R.(2014).ManagingChangeinOrganizations(6thed.).Harlow,UK:
Pearson. Carnallillustrates“changearchitecture”bywayofbenchmarking,discovery,andaction
plans.CasestudiesoforganizationchangerangefromNordicInsurancetoFordMotors.NordicInsurancedrasticallyaltereditsorganizationalmodelforhandlingclaimsbyincreasingcallcenterstaff,whilecompletelyeliminatingbackoffice“experts.”Duringthemid-1990s,inanefforttobecomeaglobalautomotivecompetitor,FordMotorsembracedahorizontalstructureofoperations.Asaresult,Ford’soperationsbecamemorestreamlined.ItpreviouslyhadvariousregionaldepartmentsinEuropeandNorthAmerica.Carnalldiscusseswaystoaddvaluetoorganizations.IwillexplorewhatwaysimplementingAgileProjectManagement,whichisawayofstreamliningprocesses,canaddvaluetomuseums.
Collins,J.(2001).GoodtoGreat,WhySomeCompaniesMaketheLeapandOthersDon’t.New
York,NY:HarperBusiness. Collinsandhisresearchteamfollowed“goodtogreat”companiesover15-yeartime-
framesduringvariouserasandcomparedthesecompaniestolesssuccessful“comparisoncompanies.”Collins’researchofgoodtogreatcompaniesprovideshistoricalcontextforwhatdefinesbreakoutsuccessforthesecompanies.Collins’casestudyofgrocerychain,Kroger,illustrateshowKrogerneededtochangeitsoutdatedbusinessmodeltobecomeagreatcompany.Thisleadsmetoaskthequestion:shouldmuseumsadapttheirbusinessmodelstomirrorsuccessfulcompaniesintheprivatesector?
Graham,B.,&Cook,S.(2010).RethinkingCurating,ArtAfterNewMedia.Cambridge,MA:MIT
Press.
30
Grahamcitesthecasestudyofa2001newmediaexhibitionatSFMOMAentitled:010101.Thisexhibitionwascollaborativelycuratedbyfourdifferentcuratorialdepartments,withouta“leadcurator.”Theorganizationappearedtobeinconfusionoverroleswithinthedepartmentsofcuratorial,exhibitiondesign,andwebdesign.ThiscasestudyprovidestheframeworkofhowAgileProjectManagementcanbeappliedtointerdisciplinarycuratorialteams,throughtheimplementationofascrummaster,toavoidthe“blurring”ofindividualroles.
Gurian,E.H.(2006).Let’sEmpowerAllThoseWhoHaveaStakeinExhibitions,Abouttheuses,
meaning,andfailingsoftheteamapproach,1990.InCivilizingtheMuseum,theCollectedWorksofElaineHeumannGurian(pp.162-166).NewYork,NY:Routledge.
Guriandiscussestheexhibitionteamapproachconsistingofadvocacypositionsfor
content,design,andaudience.Sometimesteamshaveconflictwhenincludinganexternalcontractor.Thesecross-departmentalexhibitionteamswithaprojectmanagerdrawsimilaritiestoagileteamswithascrummaster.However,GurianliststheproductowneroftheexhibitionastheExecutiveDirector.Thisisusuallynotthecasewithagileteams.Outsideofexhibitionsandcurating,IwillexploreothermuseumdepartmentsthatmaybenefitfromAgileProjectManagement.
Hendrick,C.(2015).TheAgileMuseum:OrganisationalChangeThroughCollecting‘NewMedia
Art.’RetrievedfromUniversityofLeicesterResearchArchive.https://lra.le.ac.uk/handle/2381/36093.
Hendrick’sdissertationresearchestwocasestudiesinEurope,theHarrisMuseumand
ArtGalleryandtheVanAbbeMuseum,todetermineifcorrelationsbetweenmuseumscollectingnewmediaartandchangestotheirorganizationalstructuresexist.Hendrickconcludesthathercasestudiesprovideevidenceinstitutionscollectingnewmediahaveadoptedpracticesofagilityoforganization,curation,andculture.Hendrick’sresearchprovidessupportformyargumenttoimplementAgile,intheshiftfromtraditionalbusinessmodelstoprojectmanagementmethodsofoperation.
Highsmith,J.(2010).AgileProjectManagement,CreatingInnovativeProducts(2nded.).K.
Gettman(Ed.).UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:Addison-Wesley. Highsmith,co-authorofearlyAgiledoctrines:ManifestoforAgileSoftwareDevelopment
andtheDeclarationofInterdependence,providescomprehensivedescriptionsoftheAgileProjectManagementprocessthroughthecontextof“opportunities,values,frameworks,andpractices.”Highsmithemphasizesreplacingtheoutdated“IronTriangle”approachtoperformancemeasurement,whichfocusesprimarilyonscope,thencostandschedule,withthe“AgileTriangle,”whichfocusesprimarilyonvalue,thenqualityandconstraints.Highsmithplacesvalue/customersbeforetheconstraintsof“scope,schedule,andcost.”Aspectsofadapting,productreleases,andscalinguparealsomentioned.InproposingAgileProjectManagementinthemuseumsetting,itis
31
importanttoidentifytheopportunitiesofinnovatingproductsandserviceswithrelationtothemuseum.Agileisaniterativeprocess.Curatingisaniterativeprocess.WillimplementingAgileintoCuratorialpracticeresultinmorevisitor-centeredexhibitions?
Janes,R.R.,(2013).MuseumsandtheParadoxofChange(3rded.).NewYork,NY:Routledge. Janes,formerPresidentandCEOoftheGlenbowMuseuminCalgary,Alberta,draws
uponhisexperiencesattemptingtoturnaroundamuseuminfinancialturmoilafterdrasticcutstofunding.Thisworkexplainsthechallengesofimplementingchangeinmuseumsandnon-profitorganizationsfromamanagementperspective.Glenbow’sprimarychallengeswereitsdependenceongovernmentfunding.However,otherissuesthatplaguedthemuseumincludedlayoffs,restructuringcosts,andrigidseniorstaff.Implementingmajororganizationalchange,suchasashiftfromaverticalhierarchytoamorehorizontalprojectmanagementapproachmaybedifficult.ThesechallengesfacingmuseumsmaybeadeterrenttoorganizationalchangeandimplementationofAgileProjectManagementthatshouldbeaddressed.
Larsen,D.,&Nies,A.(2016).Liftoff,StartandSustainSuccessfulAgileTeams(2nded.).K.Dvorak
(Ed.).Raleigh,NC:PragmaticBookshelf.
LarsenandNiesprovidestrategiesforlaunchingsuccessfulagileteamsfromtheinitialmeeting,alsoreferredtoasa“liftoff.”OnesuchstrategyincludesAgileChartering,inwhichexpectations,roles,andstakeholdersareidentifiedamongstteammemberspriortoandduringaliftoff.Thestrategiesdescribedhereprovidestep-by-stepguidelinesforimplementinganagileteamfromitsliftoff,whichprovidesthebasisofmyproposalforinitialimplementationofagileinamuseumsetting.Myproposalwilldefinerolesofascrummaster,teammembers,andstakeholderstoahypotheticalmuseumagileteamscenario,loosely-basedontheliftoffguidelineslistedbyLarsenandNies.
MitroffSilvers,D.(2017).FiveStepsforEmbeddingDesignThinkinginaMuseum.InThe
MuseumBlogBook(pp.154-163).Edinburgh,UK:MuseumsEtc. MitroffSilversexaminesthecase-studyoftrainingsshedeliveredattheDenver
MuseumofNature&SciencestodescribehowthemuseumembeddedDesignThinkinginordertobecomemorerelevanttotheDMNScommunity.DesignThinkingfacilitatesdesignprocessthathasbeenaroundfordecades,buthasonlyrecentlybeenadoptedbythemuseumfield.IwilldescribethedifferencesbetweenDesignThinkingandAgileforapplicationsinmuseums.
Paulini,P.,MitroffSilvers,D.,&Proctor,N.(2015).Technologiesforculturalheritage.InRizzo,
I.,&Mignosa,A.(Eds.).HandbookontheEconomicsofCulturalHeritage(pp.272-289).Camberley,UK:EdwardElgar.
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MitroffSilversdescribesSFMOMA’swebsiteanddigitaloperationsindetail.Certainaspectsofthewebsitesufferedfromlackoffunding,suchastheteachers’curriculumportal.Participationfromdepartmentsoutsideofthemuseum’swebteamincontentproductionincludedstafffromEducation,Marketing,Membership,andCollectionsInformationAccess.Themuseumoutsourcedseveralaspectsofwebproduction,includinguserexperiencedesign.HowwouldSFMOMAhavebenefittedfromanin-houseuserexperiencedesignerwithexperienceinagileorothercontemporarydesignapproach?WouldanagileteamdevelopingSFMOMA’swebsitehaveaninfluenceontheorganizationoutsideofdigital?
Ries,E.(2011).TheLeanStartup,HowToday’sEntrepreneursUseContinuousInnovationto
CreateRadicallySuccessfulBusinesses.NewYork,NY:CrownBusiness. AccordingtoRies(2011),LeanStartup“buildsuponmanypreviousmanagementand
productdevelopmentideas,includingleanmanufacturing,designthinking,customerdevelopment,andagiledevelopment.”(p.4)Riesdescribesmeasuresofsuccessinleanthinking,suchasvaluethatrendersallelseaswaste,asinadequateformeasuringsuccessinstartups.Riesemphasizes“validatedlearning”throughdatacollectionfromcustomers.LeanStartup’sBuild-Measure-LearnfeedbackloopdrawssimilaritiestoAgile’sprocessofdevelopmentthroughtwo-weekiterativesprints.ComparingLean,Agile,andDesignThinkingwillprovideforanoverviewofproductandservicedevelopmentmethodsthatmuseumscanusetodetermineifeitherwillhelpthefieldincreatinginnovativemuseumexperiences.
Samis,P.,&Michaelson,M.(2017).CreatingtheVisitor-CenteredMuseum.NewYork,NY:
Routledge. Thiscollectionofcasestudiessurroundingthetopicofchangethrough“visitor-centered
approach”inexhibitions,inordertoreachwideraudiences,and“structuralchange,”whereorganizationssteerawayfromverticalstructurestofacilitatebettercollaboration.TheVanAbbeMuseum,alsoacasestudyofCatharinaHendrick(seeabove),hasimplemented“radicalhospitality”toitsethos.SamisprovidesotherexamplesoftheVanAbbeeffortsofbecomingvisitor-centered,suchashiringanexperiencedesigner,creatinganimmersiveElLissitzyexhibition,andprovidingspaceforaudience/visitorcommentsonwalllabels.ItwouldbeinterestingtoseeifthereisacorrelationofinstitutionspracticingAgileProjectManagementandvisitor-centeredinitiatives.
Simon,N.(2016).TheArtofRelevance.SantaCruz,CA:Museum2.0. Simonsharespersonalstoriesandanecdotestodeliverherthoughtsonrelevance.
Simonquotescognitivescientists,DeirdreWilsonandDanSperber,asdefiningrelevanceto“yieldpositivecognitiveeffect.”Withregardstothisquote,Simonstatesthatforsomethingtoberelevant,ithastooffersomethingnew,andithastomatter.
33
Simondescribesthe“paradoxofrelevance”throughtheanecdoteofhavingtherightkeytotherightdoor.It’ssimplynotenoughtohavecommunityinvolvementwiththemuseum,butthemuseum’scontentmustalsooffersomethingnewandmattertothatcommunity.SinceAgileProjectManagementplacesafocusonvalue(customers),wouldadoptingthisworkmethodologyrootedinsoftwareandproductdevelopmentrenderamuseummorerelevanttoitspatrons?Canmuseumexperiencesbedesignedfromsimilarmethodologiesutilizedinsoftwaredevelopmenttobecomemorerelevanttoamuseum’scommunity?
Verzuh,E.(2016).TheFastForwardMBAinProjectManagement(5thed.).Hoboken,NJ:Wiley. Verzuhprovidesanoverviewofbase-levelprojectmanagement,whileintroducing
projectmanagementmethodslikeLeanStartupandAgile.Topicscoveredincluderiskmanagement,scheduling,stakeholderroles,teamassembly,etc.BeforepresentingordiscussingAgileProjectManagement,itisimperativetomentionprojectmanagementinabroadercontext.ThistextwillallowmetointroducethefundamentalsofprojectmanagementbeforedivingheavilyintoAgileProjectManagementmethodsandterminology.
34
AppendixB:ProjectStakeholdersAudienceAdvocates:Thesestakeholdersconsistofanamalgamationofdepartmentsthatisrepresentativeofthemuseum’saudience.ThisteamincludesstafffromMembership,Education,Marketing,etc.BoardofTrustees:ProjectrequiresBoardapprovaltoimplementnewposition.Curators:Curatorsmayormaynotfavorinitiatinganewexhibitionshybridteam.Dependingonthepersonalviewsofthecurator,theymaybereluctanttowelcomeateamthatdesignsexhibitionsinwhichthecuratorisnotthecentralauthority.DesignTeam:Designerswillbeembeddedinscrumteamstodevelopgraphicand/orvisualdesignforproductsandservices.EducationandPublicProgramsDepartment:ThisdepartmentwillworkinanAgilemethodofproductandservicedevelopment.Additionaltrainingwillberequiredofthisstaff.ExecutiveDirector:Theinstitution’sleaderneedstobeincompliancewiththegoalsofthisnewpositioninordertothe3-yearstrategytobesuccessful. ExternalVendors:Todevelopdigitalproducts,amuseumcontractssoftwareengineers.Theaccelerateddigital(website/mobileapp)updateswillrequireflexibilitywithsoftwareengineers.Currentvendorwillneedtobere-evaluated.ExhibitionsTeam:StafffromthecurrentExhibitionsTeamwillbeaskedtoparticipateandcontributetotheExhibitionsHybridTeam,organizedbytheGeneralistScrumMaster.GeneralistScrumMaster:ThisindividualisatthefocalpointofimplementingorganizationalchangetowardsanAgileprocess.HeadofDigital:TheGeneralistScrumMasterreportstotheHeadofDigital.TheHeadofDigitalwillensuretheGeneralistScrumMaster’sprojectsremaininlinewiththemuseum’smissionstatement.TheHeadofDigitalisresponsibleforsubmittingthejobproposalandattributesaresenttoHumanResources.HumanResources:HumanResourceswillscreenandvetcandidatesfortheroleofGeneralistScrumMaster.HumanResourceswilldeterminethesalaryofthisrolebasedoncomparablewagesandcandidate’sexperience.Marketing:TheGeneralistScrumMasterpositiondemonstratesashiftattheinstitution’sdirection.Thispresentsanopportunityforthemuseumtorebranditselfinprint/onlinepublicationsandmuseumconferences.
35
Operations:StafffromOperationswillcontributetotheExhibitionsHybridTeamtoofferinsightsonbudgeting,installation,fabrication,etc.Visitors:Visitorsarethemainprojectbeneficiaries.Thescrumteamsaimtoprovideimpactfulvisitor-centeredexperiences.
36
AppendixC:GlossaryofTermsAgileCoach:AnindividualtrainedinAgilemethods,butnotnecessarilycertified.AgileProjectManagement:Advancedprojectmanagementmethodthatcovers“opportunity,
values,frameworks,andpractices”(Highsmith,p.xxix).CertifiedScrumMaster:AscrummasterthatcompletedanofficialCertifiedScrumMaster
certification.ThesecertificationcoursesareavailablethroughuniversityextensionprogramsfromtheUniversityofCalifornia,BerkeleyandSanFranciscoStateUniversity.AnintroductoryprojectmanagementcourseisaprerequisitetotakeAgilecourses.
ChangeArchitecture:Theexaminationof“howchangeprogrammesareconstructed”(Carnall,
p.10).DesignThinking:A5-stepdesignprocess:“empathize,define,ideate,prototype,andtest”(Jen,
np).Disruption:Theuseofdisruptivetechnologytosupplantcompetitors(Christensen,p.xi).Empathy:Understandinghowsomeoneelsethinks(Young,p.vii).Empathy-basedprocess:Aprocessrootedinhowothersthink,inrelationtoyourproductor
service.Liftoff:Similartoa“kickoff”meeting,whereindividualscometogetherinitiallytocollaborateon
“initialintentions,approach,andplans”(LarsenandNies,p.xi).ServantLeadershipStyle:IntheLinkedin.comarticle,“ServantLeadershipinProject
Management,”byTanvirAhmed:“projectmanagersputtheteamfirstandstrikeabalancebetweenprojectparameters,businessobjectivesandinterestoftheteam.”
SharingEconomy:Synonymfora“CollaborativeConsumption”economy(BotsmanandRoo,p.
xv).Sprints:Adesignsprintwhereideasare“tested,built,andlaunched…”inahighlyaccelerated
environment(Knapp,p.6).
37
SourcesConsultedAhmed,T.(2015,August4).ServantLeadershipStyleinProjectManagement.Retrievedfrom:
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MoMA.org.InTheMuseumBlogBook(pp.392-395).Edinburgh,UK:MuseumsEtc.Botsman,B.,&Rogers,R.(2010).What’sMineisYours:TheRiseofCollaborativeConsumption.
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Fail.Boston,MA:HarvardBusinessReviewPress.Collins,J.(2001).GoodtoGreat.NewYork,NY:HarperBusiness.Dept-Digital-ScrumMasterJobatTheMetropolitanMuseumofArtinGreaterNewYorkCity
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institutions,1990.InCivilizingtheMuseum,theCollectedWorksofElaineHeumannGurian(pp.76-81).NewYork,NY:Routledge.
Hendrick,C.(2015).TheAgileMuseum:OrganisationalChangeThroughCollecting‘NewMedia
Art.’RetrievedfromUniversityofLeicesterResearchArchive.https://lra.le.ac.uk/handle/2381/36093.
38
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